1. Field of the Invention
A merchandising display assembly according to this invention includes spring loaded pushers for advancing articles toward the front of the display as articles or merchandise is removed by a prospective purchaser. The assembly can be adjusted for use on display shelves of different depth.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One prior art modular pusher system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes the following components: a series of spring loaded pusher assemblies 30A, a front strip 12 in the form of a clear extrusion including channels in which advertising and graphic material 5 can be mounted, a rear strip 22 in the form of a second extrusion, and a series of shelf dividers 70A separating adjacent pusher assemblies. The front and rear strips are mounted respectively along the front and rear of a merchandising shelf 6. These strips can be mounted, in a parallel relationship, on a shelf with the use of double-sided adhesive tape. Articles of merchandise 2 can be stacked side by side with multiple articles in each of several rows. Both the pusher assemblies and the shelf dividers include snap features on opposite ends so that both can be snapped into the front and rear mounting strips. Each pusher assembly includes a pair of side by side horizontal rails with an upright pusher mounted on these rails. One end of a spring is attached to each pusher and the opposite end is attached at the front of the corresponding rail subassembly so that the pusher urges product located in front of the pusher toward the front of the shelf. The spring extends between the parallel rails and coils behind the pusher as the pusher advances toward the front of the shelf. Vertical tabs extend from the front end of both the pusher rails and the shelf dividers. The vertical tabs on both members can be snapped into an upwardly open slot on the front strip 12. Extruded fingers in this slot grip the tabs when they are inserted from above. The rear extruded strip 22 also includes a slot with gripping fingers, but this rear slot is horizontal and faces forward. A portion of the rear strip, through which the rear slot extends is elevated relative to the shelf so that the rails will be sloped toward the front of the assembly. A latching protrusion on the dividers 70A is similarly offset so that lips on opposites sides of the divider base will be parallel to the shelf when mounted between the front and rear strips. Both the pusher rails and the dividers have the same length so that the depth of this assembly remains constant. However, this prior art assembly cannot be adjusted so that the same components can be used on shelves with different depths. This limits the versatility of this pusher assembly because the depth of shelves need not be constant and can vary from one merchandising display 4 to another. A standard size assembly may therefore be unsuited for some installations because the length of the pusher subassemblies and the dividers is too great for use with particular shelves. Alternatively, display space may be wasted where the depth of the shelves is greater than the length of the pusher assembly components.